A member of the Navajo Nation who pledged to serve and build Tribal communities is the new president of Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, N.M.
Tamarah Pfeiffer said she will ensure each SIPI student is prepared as a life-long learner, according to a March 1 Bureau of Indian Affairs news release.
“My primary focus will be to build upon the college’s strengths from the perspective of a growth mindset,” Pfeiffer said in the release. “We must prioritize SIPI’s partnerships with surrounding Tribal communities, colleges and universities, both public and private, so we can seamlessly transition SIPI students to four-year studies.”
Pfeiffer said she wants the institute to be a springboard launching students into successful and prosperous careers “that will contribute back to their communities,” the release reported
“To accomplish that, we must thoroughly prepare our students for a four-year degree and a career of highly skilled employment,” Pfeiffer said in the release.
Bureau of Indian Education Director Tony Dearman praised Pfeiffer’s experience, according to the release.
“Dr. Pfeiffer has been inspiring Indigenous students for more than 40 years,” Dearman said in the release. “She most recently served as BIE’s chief academic officer and has a phenomenal reputation in Indian education. Her experience will cultivate a college environment that will create culturally diverse learning opportunities for Indigenous students.”
Pfeiffer’s career with the Bureau of Indian Education included being associate deputy director for Navajo Schools. She had positions at Arizona State University, Penn State, Diné College and Northern Arizona State University before joining the Bureau of Indian Education, the release said.
Pfeiffer, who has a doctorate in educational leadership, has a master’s degree in English and a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with an emphasis on teaching English as a second language, according to the release.
Pfeiffer also served as acting president at Haskell Indian Nations University and BIE chief academic officer, according to the Bureau of Indian Education.
The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute opened Sept. 16, 1971, after the All Indian Pueblo Council in 1960 “envisioned a school that would serve the Native American Community.” Construction of the institute began ten years later, its website said.
